Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan; published by Poppy, an imprint of Little, Brown & Company, New York, 2011; 360 pages.

NOTE: This review is based on an ARC (advance reading copy) provided for free by the publisher. The publication information is subject to change. Expected release date: June 1, 2011.

Brooke Berlin has it all. Her father is the much-adored actor/writer/producer Brick Berlin so she pretty much has everything she wants or she knows how to get it. “Having it all” includes good friends like Arugula and enemies like Shelby Kendall (heir to Trip Kendall’s gossip rag, Hey!). “Having it all” did not mean her father’s full attention, a mother that stuck around, or siblings. Molly Dix, on the other hand, had good friends too, and a mother that cared, although she had no idea who her father was. That is, until her mother died. At that point, Molly and Brooke discover that they have something in common: their father Brick Berlin. Brick foists his 16 year old daughters upon each other and somehow expects them to bond immediately. Brooke has other plans. Brooke has no intention of letting an intruder spoil her life. This is war!

As I read the first chapter, I was so disgusted by Brooke that I didn’t think I’d be able to finish the book. But then I “met” Molly, Brooke’s antithesis. Hmm, this could be interesting–and it certainly was. And it was entertaining…. And the character development was good…. And the glimpse into lifestyles of the rich and famous was fun…. And as I closed the back cover, I wanted the sequel. This is the perfect beach read! The June release is perfect since this is a great summer vacation book to pair with Joanna Philbin’s The Daughters series, for example.

Often books that are team-written suffer from disparate styles. I can tell what parts were written by each author and sometimes those differences are even noticeable within single sentences. In the case of this writing team, they seem to have mastered the art of tag-team creation writing the fabulously funny Go Fug Yourself blog. Their razor sharp wit and eye for the richly and fabulously ridiculous translates beautifully into the creatures in this book. For young adult wannabes, and those who are just voyeurs, this is a must-read this summer. And seriously, when is the sequel due out?

5P 4Q Grade Level: 8-11

Cover Art: The ARC I received has the title spelled out in makeup. Priceless. It totally defines the superficiality that the characters own or reject. Undoubtedly, the cover will help sell this book.

From Reading List: Survival in Love War or Sports; ARC (advance reading copy)

a librarian's view of the worlds within Young Adult bookshelvesDisclaimers: Per the FTC regulations, please note that sometimes books are received for review for free by publishers or authors. All books (ARCs, galleys, library or purchased) will be reviewed fairly; no special consideration is given to anything reviewed on this blog. In addition, I make every attempt to avoid spoilers. Sometimes they happen inadvertently or because they are important to defend a review; not all spoilers have been removed or fixed. This disclaimer is a general statement included as a warning to readers.

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